50 years speed by for barbecue restaurant

Tuesday

Aug 27, 2013 at 11:56 AM

One of the best-known barbecue restaurants in Lexington, Speedy's, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

BY SHARON MYERSThe Dispatch

One of the best-known barbecue restaurants in Lexington is celebrating its 50th anniversary.Paul "Speedy" Lohr opened Speedy's Drive-In in 1963. Roy Dunn worked there and purchased the business in 1970 with his cousin, Bud Dunn, and they renamed it Speedy's Barbecue.In 1978, Roy Dunn's brother, Boyd, purchased Bud Dunn's part in the business, and the brothers are still co-owners today. Boyd Dunn said when their cousin decided to sell, he thought it was a good opportunity, especially since he had been working there for several years."It is one of those things that once it gets in your blood, you never want to leave," Boyd Dunn said.The brothers say they take great pride in the three Q's, which are quality, quantity and quick service. They say that they began "supersizing" their portions long before other chain restaurants made the term popular.Speedy's is one of the few restaurants in town that still offers curb service. The owners say they still provide the service because it offers a convenience their customers have loved and appreciated throughout the years. It was one of the original restaurants in the Barbecue Festival and has participated in the event every year for the past 30 years. They pride themselves on keeping a "home-town" feel about the business where many of their customers are greeted by name and the wait staff treats everyone like a friend."We love to see them coming in every day," Boyd Dunn said. "Dealing with the public can be adventurous, but we've enjoyed it."When Dunn and his brother first took ownership of the business, they had seating for approximately 20 people. Now they have four dining rooms and space for up to 190 people. The two siblings have an unusual working relationship where one manages the restaurant one week and then the other manages the next week.Dunn said that whoever is on duty that week is the one who makes the decisions, but they both have input on the day-to-day running of the restaurant."We touch base on Mondays to switch keys and pay the bills," Dunn said. "We still get along pretty well, and there have been very few occasions where a conference call is needed."Dunn says that they feel blessed to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Speedy's Barbecue. "We've enjoyed every minute of it," he said. "We went from word of mouth to a big following on Facebook. The best thing is when you meet people when you're out of town, and they tell you they've eaten here."Some things may have changed, but Dunn says the one thing that remains the same is the food. Speedy's will offer weekly specials every Saturday in September, starting with 50-cent hot dogs the first weekend. They will run ads in The Dispatch to let people know what the next special will be. The restaurant, which is at 1317 Winston Road, is open from 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Its Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/SPEEDYS-Barbecue-Inc/127278403974179.Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.